Kings and Vagabonds
by Outsiders United
Summary: Kopa and Vitani are now King and Queen of the Kuua Pride, as well as proud parents of the adventurous young cub, Ujasiri. However, an old enemy of the Kuua Pride's former King soon reappears and threatens to destroy everything the two young rulers have accomplished. Sequel to The Prince and the Pauper.
1. Of Rogues and Royalty

**Hi, everyone! I'm finally here with the promised sequel to The Prince and the Pauper, albeit two years later and under a different name. Before we begin, there are a few things I want to call your attention to right out the gate. **

**1) So there's no confusion on this matter, I'd just like to address something that was mentioned by a reviewer. Vitani is **in no way **related to Scar in 'The Prince and the Pauper' or its sequel. Her and Kopa's relationship is **not **bordering on incest as they are **not **second or any other type of cousins. In Chapter 4 of 'The Prince and the Pauper', Dotty and Spotty are talking to Zira and it's revealed that Scar was only able to sire Nuka before he died, and that Vitani is the offspring of Zira and an unnamed rogue. "Before my beloved Scar was murdered in cold blood by his treacherous nephew, he decreed that the next male cub I produced would be his heir."… "You left the Pride Lands after Scar's death, while you left Nuka here with us. You were going to fulfill Scar's dying wish, weren't you?" "Yes, and although Vitani is much more cunning than her brother, she is not the heir my poor Scar desired." This implies that Vitani was not Scar's daughter in this story. **

**Also, in Chapter 3, Vitani and Nuka are talking and for a brief moment touch on Scar's death, which at that time they blame on the hyenas. When apologizing to Nuka for her thoughtless outburst, Vitani calls Scar "your dad", meaning she knows Scar isn't her father. Finally, in Chapter 7, Zira is scolding Vitani for her relationship with Kopa and ends up telling the child her version of what happened to Scar, referring to him as Nuka's father only, not Vitani's. It is also worth noting that at no point in the story does Vitani or any other character ever refer to Scar as her father. So, to sum up, Vitani and Scar aren't related in the least and it's perfectly fine for her to be romantically involved with Kopa. **

**2) I'm giving everyone fair warning: my update schedule is erratic at best, and I'm not going to get chapters up at anywhere near the speed I did with this story's predecessor. The good news is the chapters will most likely be longer and, hopefully, better written. Still, I ask in advance for your patience. It is a virtue, after all.**

**3) For those who had trouble understanding, the Kuua Pride isn't evil or bad. Most of their members are orphans or rogues and most know what it's like to live under a tyrant. Therefore, the Kuua Pride travels wherever their feet take them, and if they come across oppressive or evil rulers, they take it upon themselves to free the captives or defeat the villain, kind of like vigilante Superheroes. You'll learn more about the Kuua's history in this story. **

**4) I know in The Prince and the Pauper, the characters' lifespan and ageing cycles were copied off of human lifespans. This time around, I've decided to go with a more 'realistic' aging process. In this story, lions will be the equivalent of 15 or 16 years old at age 2. They will be fully grown and sexually mature at age 3. My characters will also be able to 'live' for 15-20 years. Though lions in the 'real world, can only live for 10-15 years in the wild, they have been known to live up to 25 years in a safe, captive environment. Since the TLK universe ****usually**** isn't as brutal as the real world, I assume the characters would have a slightly longer lifespan, at least insofar as this story is concerned.**

**Well, that about covers everything. Ladies and gentleman, without any further ado, 'The Warrior and the Crown'. **

Disclaimer: I do not own Lion King 1, 2, or 3, nor am I making any money off of this story. This story was written purely for entertainment purposes and no copy write infringement is intended.

* * *

Chapter 1: Of Rogues and Royalty

The queen blinked her eyes open as the slowly rising sun began to cast a gentle glow over the savannah. Her beady electric blue irises scanned the area out of habit and, finding no immediate, noticeable threat to her Pride, the slender lioness quietly rose from the sleeping area she shared with her mate and cub. Blending into the dwindling shadows almost perfectly, the young adult made her way to the Pride's water source without waking a soul. After a quick drink, she started to bathe herself, relishing the feel of the cool morning breeze against her yellow-beige fur.

By the time she had finished cleaning the majority of her thick, shaggy coat, the sun had climbed to a more prominent position in the sky, and the dark cover of night had almost faded away. Deciding to get a headstart on breakfast, the lioness had just gotten to her paws when she heard a quiet, yet very familiar whisper.

"Let an old pro show you how it's done, princess."

Without letting the confident voice know she had overheard, the queen walked leisurely along the rim of the waterhole, waiting for just the right moment. A low rustling reached her ears and her muscles tensed in preparation. _Wait for it… _A large lion suddenly flung himself into the air, using his momentum to quicken his descent, but the lithe lioness ducked to the ground and rolled harmlessly to the side, causing her mate to miss his target completely and end up crashing headfirst into the water.

Their daughter, a young seven-month-old cub named Ujasiri, darted over. The younger lioness was saffron yellow in color, with pale cream undersides. She had her father's amber eyes and eyeshape, but the color of her eyeshades were more similar to her paternal grandfather, a mighty lion known as Simba. She had also inherited the rounded cheek fur and colorless paws of her paternal grandmother, Nala. From her mother's side of the family, the child had gotten an angular pink nose, a light brown, scruffy tail tuft, slightly square-shaped ears, and (of this, both mother and daughter were especially proud) a thick fringe of hair that looked exactly like the older lioness's head tuft did when she was that age.

"So, that's how the pros do it, huh Dad?" Ujasiri questioned smugly.

"More or less," her father grumbled, climbing out of the waterhole and shaking out his fur.

"Definitely less." His mate teased. "How is it you're a fully grown male, leader of the Kuua Pride, and yet still unable to pin an innocent, unsuspecting lioness?"

"Because you, Vitani, are neither innocent nor unsuspecting."

"Prince Fluffy has a point, Mom." Ujasiri cut in.

"What have I told you about referring to your father in that manner?" Vitani scolded, her eyes raking over the male's frizzy, clumping fur. Over four years had passed and the royal's coat still reacted to water in the same hilarious way it did when they were cubs. "Show him the respect of his title."

"Sorry. _King _Fluffy." The cub amended.

"That's better."

The monarch pouted, though his eyes betrayed him with a teasing glint. "You're both so mean to me."

"Pathetic Pridelander." Vitani scoffed.

"Heartless Outsider."

Ujasiri only grinned, knowing nothing was meant by the harsh-sounding insults her parents wielded with fervor. That didn't mean, however, that these faux arguments couldn't last a long time, and as much as the young cub enjoyed listening to the adults' banter, she was supposed to meet two of her friends by Warthog Rock soon. "Mom, Dad?"

The lion and lioness glanced over. "I promised Jua and Kamaria I'd meet up with them when the sun was fully above the horizon. Can I go?"

"Sure," her father agreed amicably. "Who's going to be watching you?"

It was a rule that the cubs needed to have an adult with them whenever they were away from the Pride, even if they were in a peaceful, unclaimed territory like this one. Ujasiri, fortunately, understood the reasoning behind this rule was due to the nature of her Pride's work and the vast collection of enemies it had probably accumulated in the process, so she it was a rule she was happy to obey. Besides, she liked most of the lionesses in her father's Pride. They were strong, smart, not too overprotective of her and her friends, and knew all the best stories. "Miss Suani said she would. And we'll stay within earshot of her at all times, I promise. So can I go? Please?"

"It's all right with me. Vitani?"

"Do as Suani tells you, and make sure you're back in time for breakfast."

"Yes!" Ujasiri ran up to her dad and embraced him in a hug, which he returned wholeheartedly. The cub then nuzzled Vitani's leg, knowing she wasn't as much for physical affection as the others in the Pride. Still, Vitani allowed the gesture, replying only with the gentle command, "Be safe, Askari(1)."

Ujasiri grinned, nodding her compliance. Without another word to either of her parents, she rushed off to meet her friends at Warthog Rock.

"Remind you of anyone?" The male questioned as he came to sit by his mate.

"The two of us. That's what concerns me."

"Vitani, she'll be fine."

The lioness scoffed. "Kopa, misfortune runs in our family. It hasn't skipped a generation yet. Your father, my mother, Nuka, even you and I couldn't escape disaster. Why should Ujasiri's fate be any different?"

"Vi…"

"I just want her to be safe. I don't want her to have to grow up with the pain and suffering you and I went through."

"Listen, Vi, I don't know what's going to happen. I can't see the future, but I do know that today, _right now_, Ujasiri is safe. She's loved and protected, and she's with her Pride and family where she belongs. You and I weren't so lucky at her age, but we still turned out ok. And I know that no matter what happens she'll turn out ok too; because you and I will always be there for her, teaching her and helping her grow into the beautiful young lioness I know she can become."

"Yeah, you're right." Vitani sighed. "I'm just worrying for nothing, I know."

"You're worrying because you _love _her, Vi. Because you _care _about what happens to her and you want her to live a good life. There's no shame in that." Kopa agued, leaning in to nuzzle his mate.

As they pulled away, Vitani smirked at Kopa, her mask firmly back in place. "Maybe not for _you_, Pridelander, but us former Outsiders are an entirely different breed. We're not weak and decrepit like you are."

Recognizing his mate's attempt at changing the subject, Kopa let the conversation drop for now. "Oh, really? Well if you're so _tough, _surely you wouldn't reject a challenge from your king."

"You're not my king. In fact, sometimes I hardly want to claim you as my mate. Though I'm curious, exactly what kind what kind of challenge do you have in mind?"

"A race back to the Pride's sleeping spot. Loser leads the hunting party."

"Sounds acceptable." Vitani nodded. "There's a herd of zebra to the west. You can bring me back one after you lose your dignity."

"Who said I'll lose? Besides, I think I'd prefer impala today."

"Well then, you'd better run!" Viani called over her shoulder, already taking off like a shot.

"Cheater! No one said 'go' yet!" Kopa accused, bolting after her. Even with the lioness's head facing the front, the king of the Kuua Pride could still hear the smirk on her face.

"You just did!"

* * *

Meanwhile, as the reigning monarchs of the Pride competed against one another in a test of speed and grace, Crown Princess Ujasiri was running a race of her own: a race against time. She tore through the savannah with a vengeance, running until her saffron fur glistened with a thin sheen of sweat and her sides heaved with the exertion of taking in enough oxygen to keep her small body moving. Finally, just when she was sure she was going to collapse, she saw it. A large, light grey boulder whose size and abstract shape had earned it the name: Warthog Rock. With one last burst of speed brought on by seeing her goal within reach, the lioness cub flew toward the stone, skidding to a stop just in time to avoid a collision.

Panting heavily, Ujasiri leaned against the landmark, trying to recover her strength. It wasn't until a dark shadow fell over her form that she realized she wasn't alone. "Miss Suani."

The pale reddish-brown lioness smiled down at the cub. "Princess. You seem out of breath. You didn't have to run all the way here, you know."

"Yes, she did!" A young, indignant male voice interrupted Ujasiri's reply. "She's late. She was supposed to be here four _hours _ago."

"Jua, we were asleep four hours ago." An equally young, but calmer, female voice reminded him.

"She still should've been here." Jua argued.

Ujasiri only laughed at her friend's antics. Jua and his sister, Kamaria, were twins, but they couldn't be more different if they were opposite species. Jua was older with sunglow-yellow fur and tumbleweed-brown undersides. He had broad shoulders, large paws, and a sturdy build, suggesting that he would one day grow into a large lion. He also had a broad, pink nose, and wide, round eyes of midnight green. On the top of his head was a tuft of dirt-colored fur that would one day evolve into a thick mane.

Kamaria, on the other paw, had timberwolf-grey fur with champagne-colored undersides. Her build was slightly stocky, but her shoulders were narrower than her brother's and her paws much smaller. Her nose was pink, but blunt, and her wide, round eyes were framed by light eyeshades. Her irises were mint green.

"Well I'm here now," Ujasiri told her friends once she managed to stop laughing. "So, what are we going to do?"

"Kama and I found this really _cool _place when we were exploring yesterday." Jua flashed the young princess a mischievous smile. "C'mon we'll show you."

"Ok, let's go!"

Suani chuckled as the three cubs took off running. She had been the one to baby-sit Jua and Kamaria yesterday, and knew exactly where the twins were planning on taking Ujasiri. Keeping the energetic cubs in her sights, she waited another moment before stalking after them; staying far enough behind that they wouldn't feel smothered by her presence, but remaining close enough so that she would be able to reach their side in a matter of seconds should trouble arise.

After a few minutes, the group arrived safely at their destination. Jua was grinning wickedly, while Kamaria smiled serenely, both remembering the games they had invented while Ujasiri had been busy with her queenly lessons. Only the princess herself remained unimpressed by the location her friends had led her to. "An _acacia grove? _What's so cool about an acacia grove?"

"This," Jua called, scrambling up the nearest tree. Carefully balancing on the high branches, he jumped, aiming for the limbs of a taller acacia. Unfortunately the distance between was too far for the young cub, and he began to lose altitude before he could even get close enough to grab onto the other tree.

"JUA!" Ujasiri screamed, knowing that in a few moments her friend's body would hit the ground with a force that would put a wildebeest stampede to shame.

But to her surprise, the cub never touched the ground. In fact, he didn't even fall that much farther. Instead, he reached out and latched onto a thick, dark green vine, using the momentum behind his fall to swing the creeping plant back and forth. When he was close enough to the next vine, he released his grip on the one he held and quickly seized the one in front of him. "What's the matter, slowpokes?" Jua shouted, continuing to swing through the grove. "Afraid you can't beat me?"

Ujasiri breathed a sigh of relief, though her eyes glinted at the prospect of a challenge. Grinning at Kamaria, she asked, "Now?"

"Now!"

Both cubs scrambled up the tree Jua had started with, and soon all three friends were swinging higher and higher through the treetops. Ujasiri especially felt her heart pound against her chest as adrenaline flooded her system, brought on not only by the chance to beat Jua into the metaphorical dirt, but by the dizzying euphoria of dangling so high above the ground with only a thick piece a vegetation standing between her and a very untimely end.

Underneath the trees, Suani rushed through the grove, her eyes never leaving the roaming forms of her charges. Fortunately, the cubs managed to stay aloft as they swung through the trees, only slowing down long enough to grab onto the next vine. Seconds turned to minutes as the children laughed and played, and before Suani knew it, they had arrived at the largest, tallest acacia in the entire grove.

"Woah! That is one _big _tree." Ujasiri marveled, her eyes glowing in amazement.

Kamaria gave her a gentle nudge, bringing the lioness out of her stupor. "You haven't seen anything yet. Just wait 'til you get to the top. You can see everything from up there!"

"So what are waiting for?" Jua challenged. "Last one up is a smelly hyena!"

That was all the incentive the two girls needed to leap from their perch and latch on to the rough bark of the old tree. Realizing he'd been left behind, Jua hastened to catch up, growling loudly at the treachery of his sister and friend. "No fair, you guys got a headstart. Nobody said 'go' and—Hey! Wait for me!"

He was largely ignored, however, as Kamaria and Ujasiri deftly climbed to the highest bough. By the time he caught up, the two lioness cubs had broken through the canopy and were staring at the land before them in all manner of fascination.

"It's so beautiful. So big," Ujasiri whispered, as though speaking too loud would somehow taint the splendor manifested before her.

"The world's a big, beautiful place." Kamaria agreed.

Jua rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, pretty dirt. Now, can you girls stop acting like girls already? I brought you two up here to play Lions and Hyenas: Ultimate Super-deluxe Treetop Addition, not to sit there and admire the scenery."

"Oh, Jua, just—" Kamaria's reprimand was cut off as her mint green irises narrowed against the glare of the sun.

"Just what? Just hurry up and explain the rules for our new version of Lions and Hyenas? Ok, sure. You see, Siri, it's very simple, you have to—"

"Do you guys see that?" Kamaria cut off her brother, her gaze still fixated on a large form out in the savannah.

"I don't see anything. Kama, just let me—"

"No, she's right." Ujasiri interrupted the male. "There's something out there. It looks like…I think it's a lion!"

"What?" Jua turned his sights to the horizon, squinting slightly as he searched for the mysterious creature that had captured his friends' attention. "It _is _a lion. It's a rogue! A real live rogue, right here in our territory!"

"Jua, this isn't our territory, we're just passing through." Kamaria reminded the enthusiastic cub.

"So? We were here first, weren't we?"

"Well, yes, but—"

"Then it's our territory, and he's trespassing. C'mon, let's go tell the grown-ups."

"We should let them know," Ujasiri agreed. "Besides, it's almost time for breakfast, and we promised our parents we'd be back by then."

"We'll let's go, then!" Jua urged, already beginning to climb back down the tree.

Kamaria shot her brother a confused look. "You want to watch the grown-ups chase off a rogue that badly?"

"No, I don't want to be late for breakfast. I made a bet with Uncle Nava about what the hunting party will get. If I win, I get a fourth of his meal, but if we don't hurry, he'll eat all of it just to avoid settling up."

Kamaria rolled her eyes. "Have I ever told you how much I envy you for being an only cub?" She asked Ujasiri.

The princess laughed. "Only about a million times."

"Well, now you can make it a million and one." Kamaria sighed. "C'mon, we'd better make sure he doesn't get himself in any trouble."

"How much trouble can he get into running back to the Pride?"

"Siri, this is Jua we're talking about, remember? The idiot who once started a war between the Kuua and colony of meerkats?"

"Dad said we had never suffered a defeat that badly in all the years he'd been in the Pride." Ujasiri recounted.

"That's because Jua wasn't alive then."

The princess considered that a moment before coming to a grave decision. "We should hurry."

Kamaria nodded, and the two girls carefully made their way down the side of the trunk.

By the time the girls and Suani arrived at the Pride's resting place, Jua was already there—thankfully unharmed and in one piece—eagerly telling the assembled felines about the rogue they had seen.

"And he was as tall as an elephant—no, two elephants—and as ugly as a hyena. And he had long fangs and giant claws, and…"

Ujasiri cast a curious glance at the alarmed and annoyed faces of the Pride. "You were right; Jua will always find a way to cause trouble." Speaking louder, she drew the attention of the Pride. "Jua, you know that's not how it happened."

"Siri!" The male hissed through clenched teeth.

"Enough, Jua!" Vitani's command was not necessarily unkind, but it was stern and tinged with impatience. Turning to her daughter, she demanded, "Ujasiri, what did you see?"

"I'm not sure, Mom. It was so far away, we couldn't even tell if it was male or female. But it was heading this way, whatever it was."

"From which direction did it come?"

"East, I think."

Vitani frowned. Kopa had taken the hunting party in the opposite direction. Sure she could call for him, but doing so would also tell the rogue the exact location of the Pride, and there was always the chance that Kopa wouldn't be able to make it in time. They would have to deal with this issue on their own. "Tabia, stay here and watch the cubs. The rest of you," she flicked her tail at Suani and the other two lionesses who had been excluded from the hunting party, "come with me. We will intercept the rogue before he gets here, and deal with him on our terms. Move out!"

The three lionesses obeyed their queen without hesitation, and soon all four felines were moving as a single unit toward the east, ready to do whatever it took to the defend their Pride.

"There they go," Kamaria observed adults sprinting for the distant horizon. "Do you think they'll be ok?"

"Of course they'll be ok! My mom's leading them, and she's the best warrior in the Pride. They'll chase that rogue off, no problem." Ujasiri answered with a slight glare, affronted that Kamaria would even question Vitani's probability of success.

"I know that your mom's good, and she's not alone, but we don't know anything about that rogue. What if he's a giant or he has other lions with him, ones that are lying in wait for an ambush that we couldn't see? What if it's a trap?"

"Then Mom will deal with it. She'll protect the Pride, no matter what. She's not inept! She can handle it."

"I never said she was weak, Siri, I'm just saying—"

"I know what you're saying, Kama, and you're wrong!"

"Hey, hey!" Jua bravely stepped between the feuding lionesses. "Why are you two arguing when there's a perfectly good, underhanded, and sneaky way to find out who's right?"

Two pairs of green and amber eyes turned to look at the conspiring cub.

"What did you have in mind, Jua?" Kamaria questioned.

Glancing over his shoulder, he whispered his scheme to the two lionesses.

Ujasiri was the first to respond, her desire to prove her mother's capabilities fueling her decision. "Good idea, Jua. It'll prove once and for all who's right."

"I can't believe you're agreeing to this, Siri." The look the grey cub shot her friend was one that clearly questioned her intelligence. "The adults will kill us if they found out we snuck off."

"So we don't let them find out," Jua retorted arrogantly. "We tell Mom we're going to the waterhole for a drink, and we sneak off once we're outta her sight. If we're quick, quiet, and careful, the adults will never even know we followed them."

Ujasiri flashed Jua a teasing smile. "Maybe we shouldn't go, then. After all, you're about as careful and quiet as a herd of stampeding elephants."

"Ha-ha." Jua deadpanned. "Very funny. But I don't need to be those things. I'm fast, Kamaria's careful, and Siri, you're the quietest of us all. Together, we've got this made."

Kamaria frowned. "Jua, I'm not too sure that's how it works."

The lion cub scoffed. "See, what'd I tell you? Careful. Now I'm going to follow the grown-ups, and see how tough this rogue _really _is. Are you two coming, or what?"

Ujasiri glanced back at Kamaria. "You can do what you want, but I know my mom can handle any dumb ole rogue that comes along, no matter how big he is or how many of them there are. And I'm going to be there to see her win."

"You're both crazy." Kamaria warned.

Jua gave a confident grin. "Does that mean you're coming?"

"It means you two have left me no choice. If you're both dead set on doing this, then as the only sane cub among us, it's my duty to try and limit the amount of danger you expose yourselves to."

"Alright!" Jua cheered. He raced back to Tabia, and after a brief conversation too quiet for either lioness to overhear, he bounded back to the group. "Mom says we can go to the 'waterhole', as long as we go straight there and come straight back."

Kamaria glared at her brother. "And let me guess…we're going to do neither, right?"

"Hey, we might stop by the waterhole on the way back," Jua claimed defensively.

"Uh, guys?" Ujasiri gestured at Tabia, who was now watching them with a confused stare. "Can we all pick up our respective arguments en route to the…'waterhole'? If we hang around here any longer, I think your mom's gonna realize something's up."

"Fine," Kamaria huffed. "But when we all get grounded for life, just remember I told you so."

* * *

While the cubs were busy trailing after the adults, Vitani and her miniature army were approaching the east boundary. With a flick of her left ear, the queen gave a silent order to spread out. The lionesses were cautious of the situation, but none questioned the command, each taking a different direction as they meticulously searched the area for any sign of the rogue. After a few minutes of investigation, the four females regrouped, finding nothing to even suggest another lion was in the vicinity.

"If there is another lion out here, he's invisible," One of the lionesses scoffed.

"Maybe we should head back." The other one suggested. "There's no one here. Those kids were probably playing some sort of game, or joking around. You know how cubs are."

Suani shook her head. "No. Jua, maybe, but not Ujasiri. The princess wouldn't make up something like this. If she said she saw a rogue, then we all need to be on our guard."

"For what? I don't know about you, but I haven't seen so much as a pawprint that didn't smell like one of our own."

"Which means this intruder is smart enough to cover his tracks and mask his scent. We need to be careful," Suani reasoned.

"We need to be _quiet_." Vitani hissed, slipping into a defensive posture. "Listen closely."

Silence descended upon the group as all four felines heightened their hearing, scanning the savannah not with their eyes, but with their ears, listening for any noise that might reveal the possible location of the intruder. For a minute, the only sound anyone could hear was the high-pitched whistle of the wind racing over the land. Then, just as one of the lionesses opened her mouth to reaffirm her belief that the so-called rogue was—in reality—nothing more than a by-product of the young cubs' overactive imaginations, a dark silhouette leapt from within the shadows of a nearby rock cluster.

The shadow pounced at Vitani, but the Outsider-raised lioness was prepared for the assault, and quickly rose up to meet her opponent head on. The two felines crashed to the ground, each tearing and gnawing at the other's flesh, but neither managing to dominate the other for very long. Vitani took a swipe at the intruder, but missed, her claws barely grazing the shoulder of her adversary. The figure lunged in retaliation, but Vitani dodged faster. And the battle raged on.

Suani and the Pride-sisters tensed as they observed the confrontation, wanting desperately to come to the aid of their queen, but forbidden from doing so by the speed and intensity with which the battle was being waged.

"What do we do now?"

Suani glanced at the lioness that posed the question. With Vitani otherwise occupied, and Kopa and Kunavu both on the morning hunt, the mantle of leadership fell to her. "Mishi, find the hunting party. If they're tracking zebra, they should be near the west border. Get them back here as fast as you can."

Mishi nodded, sparing a single glance at the fighting felines to ensure she wouldn't be detected, before slinking silently off into the savannah.

The remaining lioness turned to Suani. "She's not going to make it in time, you know that. The west border is too far away; the battle will be over and done with by the time she returns…and I don't think it will end in our favor."

"I pray that you're wrong," Suani answered after a moment of silence. The pale reddish-brown lioness turned her attention back to the brawl currently taking place, and her teal eyes softened as she followed the lion's movements. "Because if you're right, then the Kuua Pride will have lost not only this battle, but the queen who fought in it as well."

* * *

(1): Vitani's pet name for Ujasiri. Means Solider or Warrior in Swahili.


	2. Author's Note

Author's Note:

First off, I would like to apologize to everyone who is patiently waiting for another update. My motivation for writing in general has been all but non-existent as of late, and because of that all of you were left behind, waiting for stories that were unlikely to be updated within any reasonable amount of time. I regret to inform you that this situation is not expected to change. For many of the stories, I just can't recall where I intended to go with them before I lost my inspiration. Some of them seem to have never had a destination to begin with, while others are so random and haphazardly smashed together, that I'm deeply ashamed to admit that I wrote them.

Therefore, as I have recently begun to come back in touch with my inner writer, I have decided that it would be best for all parties involved if I were to abandon my current stories and replace them with new, rewritten versions. As many of you have expressed enjoyment of my current works, however; I will leave them up should anyone decide to revisit them for whatever reason.

As for which story I intend to rewrite first, I will leave that up to all of you—my faithful readers. Please go to the poll located on my profile page and cast your vote. I will only rewrite one story at a time, though you can vote for up to two choices. In the event of a tie, I will select the story I believe will be the easiest to write.

Thank you all for your continued interest and support. I hope none of you ever loses sight of your inspiration, or forgets how to reach that place were your writer lives inside of you. Good luck to you all.


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